Beginning on July 1, 2024* under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA):
Temporary help agencies are required to hold a licence to operate. Clients are prohibited from knowingly engaging or using the services of a temporary help agency unless the agency holds a licence.
Recruiters are required to hold a licence to act as a recruiter. Employers, prospective employers and other recruiters are prohibited from knowingly engaging or using the services of any recruiter that does not hold a licence.
*If a temporary help agency or recruiter applies for a licence before July 1, 2024, there is a transitional rule that applies.
Who is required to have a licence
Temporary help agencies and recruiters are required to have a licence. These terms are defined in the ESA and its regulations.
Every legal entity that operates as a temporary help agency or that acts as a recruiter is required to have a licence. A licence issued under the ESA is not transferrable; it only applies to the legal entity to which it was issued.
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